TONY Mowbray felt it was a tired performance from his side in the win at Grimsby Town, admitting they lacked the fluency they have shown in other pre-season games.

Rovers scored the only goal of the game, shortly after the hour mark, through Danny Graham to notch up a fourth win of the close season.

They managed just one shot on target in a first-half in which they struggle to break through a spirited Grimsby side, who twice went close in the opening 45 minutes through Siriki Dembele.

Mowbray switched to a three at the back system after the break, with the introduction of Bradley Dack adding some life to Rovers who went on to win for a fourth game in five.

The players had trained ahead of the Blundell Park clash, and Mowbray admits that did have an effect on his side who head to Carlisle United on Friday.

“I thought it was a tired performance – I thought we were a bit leggy and the fluency wasn’t there that we’ve seen in other games,” Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“I was a bit unhappy with them at half-time, but as I said to them afterwards, I’m the manager, I’m allowed to get annoyed with them.

“If there is an excuse then it’s that they worked extremely hard in training that morning, because pre-season is still about getting fit and I think it looked like that.

“We were a bit leggy, we weren’t as bright and as sharp at getting through their lines as quickly as we have been doing.

“We did ok, defensively we looked pretty solid and it’s another 90 minutes for a few of them under their belts and we will start to hone the team towards what we’re looking for at Southend in the next few days.”

Rovers kept a second clean sheet of pre-season, shutting out the Mariners who beat Championship side Barnsley earlier this month.

David Raya played the full game in goal, while defenders Paul Caddis and Charlie Mulgrew also played their second 90 minutes in the space of five days.

Elliott Ward was substituted in the final minute, as he continues to build up his fitness, and Mowbray was pleased with his side’s defensive performance.

Rovers were forced to hang on a little near the end, with Grimsby piling bodies forward in search of a late equaliser.

And Mowbray added: “They came really strong at the end with a lot of powerful, big lads whoo came on the pitch at the end.

“We saw it off all right, even though they got on top of us for the last 15 minutes or so.

“We learned from it, it was good that we got attacked rather than just playing teams where we have all of the ball and to be put under pressure and play a counter-attacking game that we are going to have to do this season as I’m sure we will.”